


Ever the Consummate Professional

by writingramblr



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: All Love Is Unrequited, Drabble Fic, F/M, Unrequited Love, happy early vday, not enough of this pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 20:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/writingramblr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Laurence Dominic was Echo's former handler?<br/>When Boyd asks what happened to Echo' s old handler, Dominic thinks "You should be asking what happened to the last head of security."</p><p>(more early valentine's day things because i'm weird like that)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ever the Consummate Professional

**Author's Note:**

> just came about from thinking about Laurence and Echo, and how during the episode "Echoes," he begs for her to forgive him, for trying to kill her, and though she does, he still doesn't believe her. So then i wrote this before work.  
> It's straight up character study, along with angst and a sort of strange affection that can develop between actives and their handlers. Luckily Laurence was moved before it went anywhere, but those feelings didn't just disappear.

The pain in his side was nothing compared to what his ears would be feeling once DeWitt briefed him.

As he ushered Echo back to the van, and they finally were underway, headed back to the Dollhouse, he allowed himself to look at her.

Despite her imprint, she was staring at him in shock and did he imagine that there was also a slight hint of concern in those warm brown eyes?

"What? You’ve never seen a man bleeding before?"

His snarky tone barely covered up the shortness of breath and the wince that he made as the van jostled over a bump.  
"Well no, not since my little brother cut his knee open after trying to ride my bike. Are you sure you're okay?"  
Her eyes were wide, and she had moved a lot closer to him, which he in his distracted state, hadn't noticed, until he felt two cautious hands touching along his injured side.

She was no nurse or doctor, but he didn't want to make any sudden movements, lest he lose any more blood. So for the moment, he gave in and let her look him over.

"I hope we're going to the hospital.  You're going to need it."

Laurence bit back a laugh; it was hardly the time,

"Yeah sure. We're headed there as soon as you get your treatment." That's it, turn it back to her. She's a doll, just a piece of property to manage and protect.

Never mind the Florence Nightingale vibe she's exhibiting.

***

After he'd been sufficiently yelled at by DeWitt, not so much actual yelling as cold fury, he’d been ready for the words.

The two words that would end his torment.

"You're fired."

But they never came.

Instead he found himself being asked to take Hanson’s position.

They hadn't filled it officially since the "Alpha" incident, and it had been a month, way too long for the Dollhouse to be without a head of security.

So he accepted.

If it meant being further away from Echo, he'd relish the chance.

He soon found himself running into her even more often. Every time he told himself it didn't matter, he ignored the stabbing pain in his side, the phantom echo of that gunshot wound. The bullet he'd taken for her.

***

When Boyd asked him what happened to her last handler, he smiled tightly, and replied,

"What do you think?"

He didn't say, "You should be asking what happened to the last head of security."

It wasn't obvious until the day he'd been witness to the havoc Echo could cause. Going off mission, just enough to make him nervous.

Beginning to recall former imprints. Simple quirks here and there.

He could only pray she'd never see through his tough-guy act. He was more than just hard edges. He didn't hate her. He didn't like her either.

Laurence Dominic was in love.

In love with a shell of a girl.

He had no delusions about it. When Caroline returned to the world of the conscious, it'd be over. She'd be back to hating him, not blindly trusting.

She might even try to punch him. Which was only fair, he’d had to almost kill her twice, thanks to his NSA orders. He could hardly blame her.

The question was would he have the nerve to stop her? Would he bother putting up a fight? A defense?

Or would he even beg her to do it?

He couldn’t say.

Even after the end of the world, as they knew it, she never laid a hand on him.


End file.
